What to Bring
Please bring the following labeled items to school everyday:
-Backpack
-Sturdy water bottle (we do not have a drinking fountain in our room, so having a water bottle is super important!)
-Shoes to run in
-Rain jacket (we like to go outside even if it is wet or cool)
-Lunch (you can also receive a school lunch; menu can be found here)
-2 healthy snacks (please have snacks be nut-free, so that we can keep our classroom peanut-free). Some parents found it helpful to put snacks in the same reusable containers/bags so they didn’t have to write on the wrappers each day. Only 1 snack is needed on Wednesdays. Please make sure snacks are labeled.
-One small comfort item. It will be used during our “Solitude” rest time, and it can be left at school. I usually define the size that it needs to be smaller than your child’s elbow to fingertips.
-No toys please; as these can get lost or broken.
*Change of Clothes- if you did not bring it on Friday.
*Please apply sunscreen everyday. There is little shade on our playground, so your children will be in direct sunlight during outdoor recesses. You may send a hat or sunglasses, if you feel like this is something your child can manage.
To help all of us - adults and crew members - please make sure you label everything with black sharpie on the tags or somewhere visible (backpack, lunchbox, water bottle, comfort item, jacket, etc.) This helps enormously, as children are getting used to recognizing their things.
First Day Drop-Off
On the first day of school please meet us on the grass outside the school. We will have Ms. Lauren and Ms. Bethany Kindergarten Crew signs so you can locate us. This day will be unusual, because all crews will be meeting outside and the Renaissance Secondary School will be drumming our students in. For this reason, we will meet on the east side of the building by the “Kindie Garden”. When we walk into the building, parents will need to check in with the office. Please say a quick goodbye out front or in the hallway. We will be excited to start our day as a CREW!
Regular Drop-Off in the Morning
At 8:25 a.m. the front doors will open and kindergartners should make their way to our classroom. You are welcome to walk in with your child. You will need to check in with the office before you come down the hallway. After the first week, we will encourage you to support your child to walk into school independently.
All students need to be in school by 8:40, which is when the second bell rings. After 8:40, your child will need to check in with the office and get a 'late pass.'
Pick-Up
Safety is so important! Please always meet us outside near the flagpole at 3:55pm. Kindergartners will walk out in a single file line. You do not need to enter the building for dismissal.
Please wait until we get to our dismissal spot on the sidewalk by the flagpole.
So that we can ensure that your child is safely released to you, please wait until we give your child a verbal dismissal, for example: “Jane, I see mom, you can go.”
THANKS for understanding!
If you are coming through the drive-thru lane (we call it the Kiss & Go Lane), please have your child’s name and teacher displayed on a sign in your window. We will use walkie-talkies to communicate and bring your child to you. Please never park in the Kiss & Go Lane.
Don’t forget, Wednesdays are early dismissal at 12:55pm. The rest of school dismisses at 1pm.
If your child goes to Camelot, your child will be escorted to the gym.
*Please notify me if there is a change of plans for pick-up. You can email me if the change of plans is known the morning of; otherwise, please call the front office to ensure that I receive the message.
Lunch Time/Snacks
Our crew's lunch time this year will be at 11:10 am. Please send two healthy snacks. Only one snack is needed on Wednesdays. We ask that snacks do not contain peanuts or any nut products, since we will be eating all together in the classroom. At lunch time, there will be a “peanut/nut” table.
· If your child is going to order lunch, teachers will support your child in learning the process to use an ID card (that is kept at school) to swipe and get lunch. You should have set up a My School Bucks account during Express Check In. Here is a menu for August. For more information about lunch, click here.
Snacks should be something small that can be opened by your child and eaten "on the go" outside in about 5 minutes or less. Some suggestions might be:
fresh pre-cut or pre-peeled fruit (no fruit cups, please)
veggies
cheese/crackers
Popcorn
Granola or protein bar
dry cereal
Hard boiled egg
If your child is packing their lunch, please make sure your child knows what is for lunch vs. snacks. I would also ask that you encourage your child to make healthy snack choices and refrain from packing candy, cookies, or other treats for snacks. Remember, the goal with a snack is to fuel the brain so it’s ready to learn.
Please help your child to remember to bring a freshly filled water bottle every day. No beverages other than water will be permitted with snacks and/or in the classroom (something different for lunch is fine).
Free Lunch
DCSD is excited to offer free lunch to all students starting this new school year thanks to the Healthy School Meals For All program! Second helpings and snacks (usually only offered to first grade on Mondays and Fridays) will still need to be purchased. Even though meals will be provided for free, it's important for families to continue sharing household income information in order for our schools to receive full access to federal funding. More information can be found at DCSD’s Nutrition Services Website.
Please note that there will be no breakfast service at REMS. Students should eat a healthy breakfast before coming to school. Students may not eat breakfast in the classroom. Beverages other than water will need to be disposed of prior to arrival in the morning.
Lunchroom Volunteers
It is crucial for us to have lunchroom volunteers for the first few weeks of school. We need a lot of support as students are getting used to the lunchroom procedure.
We appreciate extra help in teaching kids how to open snacks and help with modeling polite cafe etiquette. Our Wednesday lunch is different, so please note the times:
***11:55-12:15 on Wednesdays.
11:10-11:30 on Mon, Tues, Thurs, & Fri.
***A Sign Up will be coming out soon for Cafe Volunteers.
Washing Rugs
Everyday, we use green mats for solitude. At the end of the week, I need volunteers to take the tubs of rugs home to wash and roll. If you would like to sign-up for this at home volunteer opportunity, please sign-up here. I will notify you of other volunteer opportunities soon. Classroom volunteers will begin in September.
Room Design Volunteers
I will be asking the crew to help pick out the backdrops and locations of items on our walls (such as our word wall, student work wall, mountain landscape, and crew wall. Can I have a few volunteers help with this? Email me if you are interested in coming on Wednesday from 1-2 or Thursday from 2:35-3:35.
Supplies
Just a quick note to let you know that you do not need to buy any supplies for your kindergarten child. You paid a supply fee that covers classroom materials for the whole year. This way every child has what he/she needs and everyone has the same supplies.
Birthdays
We love to celebrate birthdays!
At Renaissance, we are making an effort to celebrate WITHOUT FOOD.
In the past, we have found that food celebrations take away the focus from the child and present many challenges regarding allergies and keeping all children safe.
We have a special tradition of having children bring in a special book for Mom, Dad, or the teacher to read to the crew. Then we have a few traditions that we add to make this a special celebration, such as having a celebration circle for the birthday child and by having us sing Happy Birthday.
Be sure to contact Ms. Lauren or Ms. Bethany to schedule a date and time for your child’s birthday celebration. Parents and families are welcome to join us while we sing and celebrate your child!
Communication:
I respect that we all have a lot of emails to process on any given day. Therefore, once our year gets going, I try to keep communication to a once a week update, usually on Thursday or Friday afternoon.
If you email me during the day, it’s possible that I might not see it until the end of the day as I will be spending my focused time with your children. If you need to communicate a day of dismissal change or something like that, it’s best to notify the office. If the email is sent after 4:30pm, I likely won’t see it/respond to it until the next day. I will make every effort to communicate in a timely manner (within 24 hours during the week), but would ask that you be respectful of my time with my family too.
As a note, if you would like to check in about your child’s day or have any other concerns, please email to set up a time to chat. Dismissal is not the time for teachers to share private information about your child’s day while attending to the safety of our crew and making sure they are being appropriately dismissed. Privacy is another concern, and we want to have these conversations during a time when there are not lots of ears around to listen. We are more than happy to have these conversations, but not at dismissal. Thank you for your understanding and support on this!
Community Reading - Fridays 8:30-9:00am beginning August 11th
Every Friday morning, we welcome family members (parents, siblings, grandparents etc.) in to read with our Crew! All adults will need to check in at the front office first, then come to our classroom. If older siblings want to join us, they must check in with their teacher first before coming. You can then spread out around our room to read All About Me books, picture books and other favorites with your child and perhaps some friends! We love to start our day this way once a week. If you are unable to join us, don’t worry! There are always lots of adults in the room to read with kids. We will signal when it is time to leave and for us to start Morning Meeting.
Important Dates:
FYI: Sneak Peak at REMS: Monday August 7th 10-11:30 Grades 1-6 will be coming in to meet teachers and see classrooms. Kindie families are welcome to come for the scavenger hunt; however, since we already did our classroom visits on Friday, Kindie teachers/classrooms will not be available.
First Day of School: Tuesday, August 8th: Please meet us out front by the Kindie Garden.
Friday, August 11th: School Picture Day!
Friday, August 18th: School Carnival 4:30-7 p.m. Admission is free! Games are also free. There will be food, games, and fun for the whole family. This is such a wonderful way to start the year! We'd love to have you volunteer. Please find out more information on the PCF website. Hope to see you there!
